When power (V.sub.cc) is applied to a semiconductor device, the various components comprising the device receive power in an essentially random fashion. One potential outcome is an indeterminate state when V.sub.cc reaches a steady-state level. Similarly, some components such as flip-flops require a settling time for the components to reach a steady operating condition. Thus a circuit, referred to as a power-on reset (POR) circuit, is employed to ensure that the components of a semiconductor device remain in a reset state until a stable V.sub.cc is attained. The POR holds the device components in reset with a reset signal which is removed when steady state conditions are attained.
With increasing use of laptop computers, personal digital devices such as PDAs, cell phones and so on, there is an increased awareness to maintaining a low power consumption. A prime area of consideration is the design of POR circuits. Such circuits come into play only during the power-on cycle, and ideally become inactive and consume no power afterward. It is thus desirable to have a POR circuit that is capable of turning itself off in order to conserve power during its inactive (or steady state) condition.